By Eliza Ridgeway
 Rotarian Bud Oliver, left, welcomes retiring Judge Leonard P. Edwards to last week’s club meeting. |
The Los Altos Rotary Club honored Judge Leonard P. Edwards with a Paul Harris Fellowship May 25, an unusual distinction for a non-Rotarian. The judge, set to retire at the end of the month, led the Santa Clara County Superior Court’s family court to national distinction with his innovative programming, including the court appointed special advocates (child advocates) and Dependency Drug Treatment Court.
Rotarian and child advocate Bud Oliver introduced Edwards to the club, where the judge, a Los Altos Hills resident, has given many presentations. “The Fellowship is Rotary’s way to express our appreciation for your contributions to our community,” Oliver said.
Rotary selected Edwards because of “the major work he’s done helping children in our community, and (as) part of our community,” Oliver said. “I don’t think we’ve ever done this before, at least not in a long, long time.”
The fellowship, named for the founder of the Rotary Foundation, represents a $1,000 donation to the foundation. The Los Altos club collectively made the donation in recognition of Edwards’ community contributions.
Donations support the foundation, a program with which Edwards has worked. In Brazil he helped begin a child advocates program in conjunction with Rotary International’s foster-care work.
Applause filled the room when Edwards said he hopes to get juvenile courts connected with Rotary across the state. The Los Altos club includes such current and former child advocates as Oliver, Roland Payne and Cres McFall.
Edwards thanked the people in the room who have “given up time, energy and love” to care for children in the community. “It reaffirms my belief that our task is to make sure that the next generation know they are loved,” Edwards said.
In his retirement, Edwards will serve as a judge in residence for the Superior Court, providing advice to his colleagues on best practice gleaned during his distinguished career.
For more information about Edwards, visit www.latc.com/2006/04/19/news/news1.html. For more information about child advocates, visit www.cadvocates.org.
